Due to consistent growth in eLearning in the United States, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, a great amount of emphasis has been placed on what is required to ensure that students find success in online education. With an estimated $13 billion invested in online education as of 2019, institutions of higher education must work to ensure that financial investments are well-spent and produce desirable educational outcomes. This mixed methods descriptive study addressed research questions designed to examine two specific factors pertinent to the success of students in eLearning environments. The research questions are: 1. "What is the perception of community among students enrolled in online synchronous courses?" and 2. "What is the perception of availability of technical support among students enrolled in online synchronous courses?" Participants in the study consist of 21 students from multiple sections of a synchronous online English 1 course offered at a two-year technical college in upstate South Carolina. The quantitative data consisted of questions from two survey tools about the perception of community and presence of technical support currently in online synchronous course offerings. In addition, focus group interviews assessing student perceptions of community and support in the synchronous environment were integrated into the data collection process. The results showed that students did not have a sense of community and desired for that element to be more incorporated into the course interactions, improving the overall student experience with the course studied. Further, students voiced a desire to have more effective and easily accessible means of seeking technical support when needed to participate in the synchronous instruction. Recommendations from this study suggest that colleges should place a high priority on developing specific opportunities within online synchronous course design for students to develop a sense of community among learners. In addition, technical support was shown to be a major factor in the student's ability to access content and be successful in the online synchronous environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]